How do you make a putt?

[Sandpiper3]

answer that without just "i hit it and it drops".

Basically me just tryin to find somethin that might spark me makin a few. I feel as though I dont even remember the feeling of draining a good putt.

So, how do you MAKE your putts?

 

[eclark53520]

The less i think about it the better i usually do.

I stand behind the ball and squat down, the first line that pops into my head the first thing i see in my mind is what i go with. I then pick a spot to roll the ball over line up and roll it over that spot.

Seems that if i re-think a putt, or pick another line i miss it more often than if i juts take the first line and hit the damn thing

 

[BStone]

I am a very quick player, rarely take a practice swing, and always read a putt from behind the ball only. I will take one look, and choose my line then step up to the ball and pick a spot about halfway to the hole that falls on the line that I have chosen and hit it.

 

[Wi-Golfer]

Definitely less thinking involved, course that goes for my entire game. if I think about any single shot too much I will screw it up. Better off just walking up to the ball, taking a quick glance & then just hit it. I also do what the pro's recommend & that's picking a spot a couple inches in front of the ball that's in your preferred line & aim for that.

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

As it may make a difference on how I would answer. What length putt are you having problems with???

Probably sounds like a stupid question, but usually when I am putting poorly it is usually on short putts of around 3-5 feet. Which I can usually correct with the basics and usually first look at using more of a forward press. However if you are talking about longer putts outside of 3-5 feet then for me that is usually a matter of over-reading break, or more of a speed control issue.

Break it down. If you don't instantly know the answer without thinking about it more, my guess is that it may be the third option and more of a confidence issue.

It also may be worth setting up for a putt and take a look at the lie of your putter to make sure it is correct or has not change based on either your setup or the putter it self. Sounds stupid, but since I am on the off season, my putter lie is not right at the moment, and I am not sure if it is because I changed my technique, or if my putter maybe got bent during travel.

Or does the putter just not feel right in your hands? In which case you may be able to change the grip, the weight, or even the putter.

 

[Sandpiper3]

My putter is perfect for me, a little upright, got it extended to 34" to stand a little closer to it and 3* of loft. So that aint the problem:laugh:.

It is the longer putts, I did not miss anything outside of 5ft today. two 3 putts, but both of them were putts I left outside of 5ft.

I have not made anything outside of 10ft in however long I can remember... In my practise round wednesday, made 4 straight birdies, only cuz none of them were outside of 10ft:laugh:.

I just cant make any mid-short to mid length to long putts.... I need to be able to make one or two of them at least. Id be willing to get if I had made 2-3 mid putts today I wouldnt have shot higher than 74 as I would have gotten a bit of momentum from some made putts.

 

[mddubya]

I've got nothing for you, I've tried everything. I'll line it up, look from all directions, even go so far as think I can see the line the ball will follow to drop in the hole and still miss it. I've tried being quick, walking up and just hitting it, and taking my time. Today I was taking my time and missing. Granted, I was lipping or just running over the outer edge, but I was still missing. But I am getting closer, and only had a hand full of 3 putts out of 27 holes today, so I am at least getting closer.

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

got it extended to 34" to stand a little closer

While I am not a professional by any means, I am a pretty good putter and good with the logical side.

By changing the length of your putter, assuming you are using the same grip, stance, and setup as well as holding the putter at the same spot on the grip

. You did change the lie of your putter, which may take a little to get used too. If it were me, and the fact that it is on mid to long range putts, I would likely start tracking my putts on practice rounds in regards to missing right or left, as well as such on breaking putts. Mainly to get a grasp on whether it is a speed issue, or reading to much or to little break into the putt.

Just from reading that you changed the length of the shaft, I can't help but wonder if it is not either changing the lie of the club or possibly your perspective on how you view the putt. Another thing I didn't mention before. When I start missing longer putts, it may not be bad to address your setup to make sure you have the same perspective on each putt.

You know the value of a pre shot routine in golf, do you have a similar routine when you putt? One that will give you the same setup when you step over a putt. I wish I had the same preshot routine with my other clubs as I do with my putter.

I can't help but wonder if it is just a matter of getting used to the change in putter lengths. Think of it in the sense that if you do everything else the same and then lengthen the putter, I would only guess because of the loft of the putter you would be pulling your shots to the left for a right handed person. While you said it was to stand closer, logic tells me if everything else remains the same on setup, a longer putter is going to put the putter head further away simply because of the length of the shaft. Which in turn is going to cause you to pull your putts. However, if you changed your setup and did in fact move the putter closer to your body, you would not only change your stance but would change the lie in the opposite direction and push putts to the right over correcting the lie.

Again though, not proclaiming to be a pro at this. I would definately make sure you are using a consistent setup and not trying to correct for the additional length of the putter. Even if the change made your putter ideal for your current setup, it did still change your perception on what you see. Where when you change the lie on an iron it is based on a full swing, and is accounted for by your swing mechanics. When you do so with your putter, it is corrected by your perception of the putter stroke and not the mechanics of the swing.

 

[Sandpiper3]

I can guarantee you the putter is setup properly, we made sure of it after I extended it, the effective loft when I setup is 3* and the putter is perfectly flat.

Lemme think back to my round-
1- 15ft uphill R to L (misread, perfect speed but thought it was L to R, tap in)
2- downhill L to R, missed 2inch R, tapin
3- flat, slight L to R, missed low
4- downhill L to R, missed low
5- 3ft birdie putt, made
6- slight downhill R to L, just left high
7- 25ft, left 8ft short, missed next putt low (L to R putt)
8- 40ish at least ft, lipped out, perfect speed
9- only good putt of day, 6ft putt for par uphill R to L
10- uphill R to L, left short/left
11- downhill 4ft L to R, made
12- uphill L to R, missed low
13- downhill 3ft sharp L to R, made (3ft putt that broke at least a ft and a half)
14- uphill L to R, missed low (9ft)
15- uphill L to R, missed low (14ft)
16- 35ft downhill L to R, missed 4ft short/right, missed next putt L to R on low side
17- uphill L to R, big momentum putt to save important par, about 25ft, left just on the high side (after pinseeking and somehow hitting the green and bouncing hard, went over and down into hazard).
18- downhill 12ft sharp R to L, 4ft break, blew 7ft by on high side, made the comebacker for par slight L to R.

Unless stated, every putt had about perfect speed leaving myself between an inch to just over a foot past the hole.

Ill reread it once posted, lets see where i missed them all:laugh:

 

[MIKE1218]

I putt quickly. Find the line from behind, one practice stroke, and just hit it. I am a good putter, but not from 10-15 feet. Inside 5 feet is where I shine, and lags are good as well. If my ballstriking is on and I have a lot of 10 footers for birdie, I probably won't score as well as if I was leaving myself 20 footers.

Hope you figure out how to drop yours. It sounds like you have a great stroke and get the speed right, but finding the right line is your problem. Maybe it's because of the eye situation?

 

[Sandpiper3]

hehe. That is part of indecision. I can read it right from behind the ball (which is why i use a line on my ball), but above the ball everything looks like its scuewed to the left abit. So really me, i see a different line behind and above the ball:laugh:.


(for those who dont know, im blind in my left eye, and im right handed, not fun)

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

Ill reread it once posted, lets see where i missed them all:laugh:

From an outside perspective from reading your post it would appear a very, very large majority of the L to R puts that you missed were low.

It may not be the most exciting task, but if you start to track your putts you may be able to break this down very easily over time.

Again, while you putter may be perfect now, the change in perspective to how you see the putts could be throwing off how you see these putts.

If it were me, I would concentrate on establishing a solid pre shot putting routine and continue to track putts.

Not sure if you realize but it looks like about 7 of the putts you are referring to as possibly being able to make were L to R and you missed Low. To someone who tracks stats or analyzes data, that stood out like a sore thumb. This not even considering uphill, downhill, etc.

 

[Sandpiper3]

Yea, almost all of my putts today were L to R.

Unfortunately my miss is a block, not rotating the clubface through...

Routine is set, and has been the same for at least 2-3 years now. Line up the ball, step back, make sure line is where i want, stand behind, one look at the imaginary ball goingin, same couple steps up as i brush off face of any little dirts, step up beside, 2 practise strokes, putter up, step up, make sure lines good with putter line, look down the line, into the hole, look back and pull.

 

[Release]

The more you make it, the more you'll make.
Confidence plays a great roll in putting, I'd practice a bunch of 3-5 footer to gain confidence ( up slope or down slope, snake left or right ).

 

[Stanters]

I try not to spend too long over the ball either and I always "see" the ball rolling into the hole at the point that I want it to go in. I make my practice swing by the looking at the hole and not the ball and let my brain do the rest.

There's a nice peice here from Tiger about his putting routine that I found helpful - its in the first couple of minutes - I think this kid may have a future.......

YouTube - Tiger Woods Golf Clinic Part 2/2